Direction-indicator for motor-driven vehicles



0. 0. ADAMS. DIRECTION INDICATOR FOR- MQTOR DRIVEN VEHICLES.'

APPLICATION FILED ocr. I3. 1919.

Patented June 28, 1921.

2 W m a 0 W4 H7 0:

UNITED STATES OTTO O. ADAMS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

DIRECTION-INDICATOR FOR MOTOR-DRIVEN VEHICLES.

. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 1921 Application filed October 13,1919. Serial No. 330,423.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OTTO O. ADAMs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Direction-Indicators for Motor-Driven Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to signal apparatus and more particularly to direction indicators for motor vehicles.

The invention has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive and compactly organized form of signal device that is capable of being readily applied in a position on the rear of the vehicle so as to be clearly view able, and has further for its object to provide means for indicating the intended control of the vehicle, as for instance to show that the machine is to be turned to the right,

or to the left, or to be stopped, and further.

to provide. a' device of this kind which will act seminutomatically to bring the signal apparatus to a normal position at which the signal display device forms a tail-light signal. 7

lVith the above and other objects in view as will be rendered manifest to those versed in the art, the invention consists of the construction, the combination, and in details and arrangements of the parts as more particularly set forth hereinafter relative to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an automobile to which the device is applied.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the fully extended curtain attached to its carrying rollers.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view partly broken away and with certain of the parts in section to illustrate clearly the construction.

F ig. 4: is an elevational view of the broken away casing showing the method of mounting a window therein.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3. Y

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the apparatus includes a casing or housing 2 of suitable dimensions and proportions and is herein shown as substantially rectangular in plan and in cross section and preferably in integral form for simplicity and cheapness of manufacture. The top and bottom rear edges of the housing may be provided with fastening lugs 3 to receive bolts or screws or other fastening means whereby the housing can be efliciently secured to a suitable mounting upon the automobile, as for instance as being attached to the rear of the body thereof,

One longitudinal side of the casing is left open to form a passage way for the rays of light from a suitable source as the electric bulb 4. therein whichmay be supplied with the electric current through connections 5 attached to suitable source of electricity. The electric bulb is mounted in this casing somewhat to the rear of and intermediately between the upper andlower rollers 6 and 7, the former of which'is loosely mounted on a rod.or journal 8 suitably secured as by a pin 9 in bearings thereforythe rod being readily removable endwise from one end of the casing 2 by the removal ofthe fastening device 9, and this, therefore, readily permits the removal ofthe upper roller 6 outwardly throughthe open front of the casing 2. The lower roller 7 is also loosely mounted on a supporting journal or rod 10 removable endwise through the end of the casing and pr'eferably held in fixed position by) a key or suitable fastening device '11 sothatthe roller 7 may be removed in a manner similar to the roller 6. I i 1 Preferably one of the rollers is of a selfwinding or spring type and in this case the lower roller is connected toone end' of the winding spring, in the present case shown as a helix 12 one endofwhich isshown at I 13 connected to the roller 7 which is; hollow and incloses the spring 12 which is coiled about the supporting rod 10 to which the other end of the spring is connected at '14.

The ends of a flexible member or curtain are connected in any suitable manner toroll ers 6 and 7 and under normal conditions the greater portion'of this flexiblemember or curtain is wound on to the spring actuated roller 7. The greater portion of this flexible member or'curtain'is formed ofsubstantially opaque material, but a centrally arranged portion near one end or that end that is connected to roller 6 is formed of translucent material, said portion being designated by the numeral 16, and under normal conditions this translucent portion occupies a position directly in front of the lamp 4, and said translucent portion is preferably colored red.

When this red portion 16 is maintained in a position in front of the light bulb 4 it will serve 6 1 1 usual tail light of the W1 Vhicle. In successive progression longitudinally along the curtain 1 5 other suitable signal portions are provided, thesebelng' lndicated at the wordsf Right -;Left "-and p 7 As hereinbeforestated theigreater portion of the curtain is made opaque this beingindicated by the cross lining or shading 17.

Those portions of the curtain that are occupied by the letters ,formingthe words above quoted are formed of transparent or translucentgmaterial so that the light will readily pass throughgthe letters forming the signal wondsf to indicate to persons in. the rear of the vehicle the intended control of the vehicle. :,10bv;iously,the curtain 'may be made ofinny suitable{material and may be I of any desired color as the exigencies may require.

a For the purpose of varying or changing the signal to be exhibited by the device and arranged over thebulb, a suitable mecha-' nism is providedherein shown as including a pinion 20 which is rigid with the upper" rollerjG, ,the piniQli" engaging a master gear 231; on ,one side of which is formed or attached ,a pulley 22, the same being loosely mounted on ,a stud bearing 23. A cord orother su-itable controlling element is at tached to the pulley, the-cord being indicated at 24L and shown as led through a guide hole 25 and from thence'suitably along the body a of theivehiclewor through the same to and overappropriateguide meansa's a pulley 26 from which it is lfed upwardly, in the present case, along the steering=post 27- of the vehicle and to which is attached a series of fixed supports .in the form of pins, hooks or buttons 28 any of which'm-ay be selectively engaged by a ring or-eye 29 inothe end ofrthe controlling rod 24:. In this man ner the operator ofthe vehicle-has but to 1 detach ;'the fastening device 29 from one of the fixed'members' 28 -v and permit the rewinding "of the curtain 15 'as may be required to indicategthe desired signal thereof which will show through the open;

side of the box and which preferably is-covered by a transparency indicated at- 30 andwhich may lie-readily inserted into and. removed from grooves- 3l provided therefor in the walls of the casing 2.

The object of providing thegear mechanism above referred to is so as to secure a multiplication of the movement of the ribbon or curtain 15 by a minimum degree of movement of the controlling, or fastening, or retaining device 29. a 7

If desired the lower side of the casing 2 may be provided with a window opening to permit rays of light to pass downwardly and play upon the surface of the license number plate which is indicated at '32 which.

movable fromthe rear thereof; a'sprin'g rollermounted in the casing, a companion roller also in the casing, a curtain connecting the rollers and '?normally wound on the spring roller, portions of said curtain being translucent in order to form signaling ind1'c1a'; and mechanism operable manually to turn. the companion roller against the spring roller iaction, said meohan sin includlng: a-

flexible device attachable selectively one changes may be made-without deg indicator and for the -'1icense 5 of a series of stationary supports so as to .hold the curtain "to: display-a desired part thereof. 7 V v 2. A direction indicator for-automobiles,

comprisinga curtain of generally opaque;

material and having translucent portions with different signals, a pair of'winding rollers to which the curtain is attached,

means. normally itendin'gto wind the curtain" in oneldirection on one of the rollers, and a manuallycontrolleddevice for restraining the saidiwinding' movementand for operating the'other roller to vary the indicating signal," said device including at-mastergear havingacontrol: element extended to an operators station, and a pinion engaged thereby and rigidwith the setting roller whereby :a multiplied movement is secured. In testimony whereof'I have signed my a name to this specification. V

OTTO O. 

